Countdown from £28k...

ryanm8655

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, there probably is but not sure it’s the optimum time right now not just job market wise but also in terms of my skills. Lots I can work on first to make me more sellable. Masters would be a huge help on that front.

Got the flat for £1400 on a 2 year deal, bargain to be honest. Means I should have £2k a month left after rent and bills, which was my target but also got a much better flat than I thought I’d end up with...really pleased...landlord didn’t negotiate at all, even on move date. I think my job may have helped there in these uncertain times and maybe the 2 year contract as well, though the del girl agent was saying “I’ll try for two years but everyone’s offering that”. I’m pretty sure she was the same one who said, when I called about another flat, “ooo your budgets a bit low...errr...” as if I was a pauper, it was so rude She actually mentioned this flat at the time but said “oh no, it’s too expensive for you”. Just terrible

Move date 16th Jan. Sure the family will be relieved in a lot of ways Not told them yet as waiting for references to go through. 

alt80

Congratulations 🥂 - I’m running out of champagne for you now and really can’t afford to buy any more so any more good news I’ll be moving onto the beer ha. Made up for you, it’s a lovely flat.

FML though re agent making me cringe just reading it.  

enthusiasticsaver

Fingers crossed all goes smoothly with warehouse flat. It looks great and if you have £2k disposable that sounds good. 

SuperSavingD

Love popping on and reading your diary.  What a year for you!! Debt free and the apartment you like for the price you want to pay.  Definitely a champagne moment and if you don’t drink it, send it mine as I do 😂😂.  Congratulations 🎉🎉

warby68

Wow, great news - really pleased for you.
That went very fast from considering if and when to move to signing on the dotted.
Hope the family agree its for the best although they sound like they might not exactly be cheering you on whatever you do. It certainly feels like the right thing for you.
You're a perfect case study for how getting debt free can change your life. I expect your diary will be a reference point for many going forward. Presumably that £1.4k rent is not dissimilar to what you were paying off debt so its a great 'value' swap. £2k disposable sounds very workable with few transport or other commitments at the moment - it really is pretty much a straight choice between spend or save.
I will be raising a glass to you

Sarahwithlove

Congratulations on getting it for the price you wanted. Hope the family are happy for you. At least they have a few weeks to get used to the idea. 

Legs21

Congratulations, glad you got the place you wanted. Couldn’t have gone to a more deserving person.

Clean slate, fresh start, living within your means. Sounds like a recipe for success 

L x

gymgirl11

I’ve read your diary all the way through and have been really impressed by your commitment to pay off your debt. Congratulations on being debt free and getting the flat you wanted!  It’s true what others have said in relation to having your own space.. you’ll probably find you won’t want to go out and socialise as much when you’re in an environment you enjoy. 

I’m looking forward to keeping up with your dairy (if you do decide to carry on with it during your debt free and saving phase!) Take care! 

ryanm8655

Thanks for the replies all.

Had a chat with family member today, while the other was at work. Was a good chat in some ways, think we're on the same page, basically both ready for me to go ha. They were keen for me to get a place around here and keep saving but said I've gone for London, which I don't think they were keen on. Immediately asked how much it was...

A lot of the stuff I'd inferred came out in the wash, so at least I wasn't going nuts/making things up... Basically said had I stayed they'd have had to start charging me more rent, implying I'm a financial burden. Mentioned spending £200 on food this week. Also had a comment about how high the energy bill was this month (£80), which I thought was for my benefit. And a couple of other things.

I just said fine, I can pay more rent until I move out as I was quite happy they weren't annoyed with me for wanting to move out.

There were some comments about how much money I must have saved if I've managed to pay off £30k in such a short space of time. Failing to recognise that there is nothing to save when hitting the debt so hard...So I think it is the point people raised before, feeling they deserve recognition for my clearing of my debts and wanting something for it.

I found the comments re: energy bills and food odd to be honest. I think it's probably just an excuse to justify the extra cash they want. Given that most weekends of late I've been doing a £60/70 shop, I didn't this weekend just gone as they went out early morning and did it but did take family for dinner at >£130. I usually buy a friday takeaway for the family a couple of times a month at c£40, have also helped out a lot with lifts etc. in the recent past. And help out in other ways. But this is old ground that I've covered before in here and they clearly don't notice any of that. I do eat at home 3 meals a day a lot of the time but I buy my own cereal, buy more than the milk I consume in a week usually, buy the coffee, buy the ginger tea that everyone uses, buy more bread than I consume usually and contribute more than I eat on average. Yes, they do most of the cooking (I'll cook occassionally, always wash up, help prep when I'm not working, started doing the ironing on weekends - don't bother with my own stuff except shirts). I also pay for an annual TV subscription at £90 (which meant they could cancel their sky) that they use more than I do, which they also forget. I don't watch tv except when they do but I suppose my laptop and phone charger use a bit of electricity, plus the lamp in my room. I even go elsewhere to shower...but anyway...gone over this already...doing the sums in my head I don't get how I am costing them money but then I don't think they're great with figures (mathematically speaking - they're very prudent with cash on the whole).

Mate said I should call them both out on this stuff (level headed and easy going friend), think he was a bit annoyed by the comment about having loads of money saved as if I'm hoarding it and hiding it from them but think I'll just get the date set and persevere. I think his logic was to get rid of the resentment re: thinking I'm minted so that we can have a nicer christmas but to be honest I think there are deeper issues in the household and I'm best off getting out of here rather than being a scapegoat. I can be a pain but have been making such an effort in recent months not to be coming home drunk etc.

When I've gone perhaps they'll realise I wasn't the burden they thought I was on the financial and helping out around the house front. I just wish I could bring the date forward now. That said, I do think they could do with my bed as neither are sleeping well due to health reasons and having a spare room would help with that. So I do feel bad on that front.

Didn't get a single congratulations from one of them for being debt free, the other was half hearted. It's like they give me no credit for it at all. But then our family is a bit like that so it's kind of fitting ha. I don't think any of them even sponsored me when I did the marathon other than my uncle

I'm half tempted to book into a hotel for a bit and leave them to it.

IrishSean

Its hard to comment without it seeming like im dissing ppl I dont know but you need to prepare yourself for a slew of comments in the new year such as "we dont see as much of you now youre loaded and have your own place" etc. 
They will miss your rent and realise the nett deficit all your take away and grocery buying contributed but is now longer there. May well be inferences made about you not 'contributing' even though you wont live there any more.

My family are super, I mean off the scale passive aggressive; am so glad to be on the brink of no longer being tied financially to them once my deceased parents' estate settles.

Youve done amazing becoming debt free, just keep building a nest egg for your future.

BTW I smelt a sample of Beckham's 'Inspired by Respect'... I ended up buying it for the kids (from fragrancedirect)  for secret santa to each other (teen boy to teen boy).  Funny cause every other Beckham EDT I smelt wasnt nice.

Still trying to wrap my (Christmas) head around the fact it was £6.99😂😂😂 it was an amazing aftershave for the money! Wouldnt matter if it had no staying power at the price. 

Would be keen to know what the best smelly is youve encountered for the lowest price. I bought the mrs a new chanel smelly which was pretty amazing but 10 times the price of the above!